The next time I awoke there were people all around me. Wait, they are starting to look familiar. It's Sasuke, Neji, and Mitchell. Only three people? That's the entire "welcome back to consciousness" group. Oh looks like Kakashi just came in the window. That's probably why they haven't noticed me yet. Wait, they're looking at my again. Act dead, act dead, dang it they spotted me.
"Bailey?" Kakashi called from his perch on the windowsill. I looked up and gave him a weak smile. That was all I could muster. He hopped off his perch and moved to my bedside.
"How do I look?" I joked. Kakashi made a gagging motion. I ended up lightly hitting him like I always did in our joke. "So what happened and why do I feel so weak?" I looked at them waiting for an answer. No one said a word.
"Bailey, you've been unconscious for two weeks," Kakashi said putting a comforting hand on my knee. I stared at them in shock. I was out for two weeks? This can't be possible. I looked at them for more answers. ``
"Bailey, do you remember what Tsunade told you before you blacked out?" Neji asked from the other side of the room. I nodded. "Well that was what got to you." I looked to him confused. What did he mean by got to me?
"It got to nine tails before Tsunade and I was able to stop it," Mitchell said. He had to fight it? "Tsunade was starting to struggle so I stepped in and helped. We would have lost of our Hokage if I hadn't helped."
"Gomenasai, I didn't want that to happen," I started looking down at my hands.
"Don't worry; it's not your fault. No one knew this would happen. Plus, there were no casualties," Mitchell explained.
"Wait, what about the mission?" I asked looking at him.
"It was postponed until you are fully healed," he explained.
"So in like two days then," Kakashi stated. I laughed. No matter how much I get hurt, I'll recover within a week. I broke my ribs during last years Jonin Examinations and it healed in five days. I still don't know how but it's pretty cool.
"When can I get out of here?" I asked looking at them.
"Tonight, I believe," Kakashi stated. The others left but before Kakashi could leave, I motioned him over. "What?"
"Do you know of a Hansuke of the Fortune?" I asked him. He stared at me in horror. I looked up at him with tears forming in my eyes. "He said that soon I would be given a curse. One that he said was terrible and wicked." Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. Kakashi came up and pulled me into an embrace. "What do I do?"
"You have to prevent it from happening. You must be strong. Did he tell you any specifics of the curse?" Kakashi asked with his head atop of mine.
"He said his arm will burn, but that's it," I answered as my tears dried.
"I'll look into that. Now go to sleep. You've been through a lot," he kissed my forehead.
"Arigatou Otou-san," I said about to doze. He stopped and looked at me, but smiled.
"Your dad always was kind of jealous of me," he stated and I dozed as he closed the door behind him.
"What are you doing here Kashi?" Iruka asked as Kakashi stepped into the waiting room.
"Checking up on Bailey," Kakashi said sitting next to Iruka.
"Again?"
"Well, she's like a daughter to me, Ruka! I have to be there for her. Plus, she just called me Otou-san," he said as a tear formed in his visible eye. He leaned into Iruka as the Chunin hugged him in a comforting way. "What are you doing here Ruka?"
"I came to make sure one of my students is ok. Poor kid split his chest open falling out of a tree." Both laughed. Who would have thought that these two could get along as well as they did? Two people from opposite end of the ninja field.
Tsunade released me from the hospital the next morning, telling me that the next day we would start out on the mission. I strolled down the main street, but I felt Mitchell's presence behind me again. He was farther back so I pretended not to notice him. He followed me everywhere, into the flower shop and into the weapon shop.
He was still following me when I got to the training grounds. Neji was meditating on the ground, but opened his eyes and motioned for me to sit next to him. I did as I was told. We meditated in silence for a good ten minutes.
"You will not be training," he stated calmly.
"Why nii-san?" I whined.
"You will get hurt and the wolf will come out again," he answered.
"But, Neji it was only once. This is what I mean when I tell you that you are treating me like a child," I shouted. I stood up and stormed off. I ended up stopping at the local BBQ restaurant that Choji went to regularly.
I spotted Choji in the normal corner with stacks of empty meat trays. He was alone, so I thought I'd join him. I sat across from him, trying to fake a smile, but failed when I saw Neji walk by the window.
"Bailey, what's wrong?" Choji asked putting four slices of meat in his mouth at once.
"Neji is treating me like a child. He refuses to let me train and when I do, he picks me up before dark," I answered slumping over in the booth. Choji began speaking but I couldn't hear a word he was saying. "Can you say that again?" He swallowed.
"I said why does he do that? When did this start?" he said again and stuffed his face. I sighed and thought back. He first started doing that when I became a Jonin.
"I don't know why, but it started just before the Jonin Exams," I answered and he nodded in understanding. I gave him a questioning look. He finished chewing again.
"I think he's just being way too overprotective. Oh, you can have one if you want," he offered as he began grilling more. When one was done, I was about to eat it when someone snatched it out of my hand. I looked over to see Sasuke cooling it. I glared at him as he handed it back to me. I bit it off his hand taking part of his hand with it. He quickly brought his hand back, but left.
"He's been doing that since I left the hospital," I stated. Choji shrugged and I saw Hiashi enter the restaurant. I thanked Choji for his friendliness and bowed to Hiashi and as we were walking away I winked at him. I left money for Choji's meal at the counter.
"Hiashi?" I asked him as we walked to the compound. He looked over at me for me to continue. "Why do you think that Neji, Sasuke and Mitchell are treating me like I'm made of glass?"
"Well, your brothers are probably just scared that they might lose their little sister like they lost the others and I think that Mitchell has a crush," he answered.
"EW! GROSS!" I squealed with a retarded grossed-out face on. Hiashi began to laugh at my antics. I smiled up at him. "Hey Hiashi, what did Kakashi mean when he said that Otou-san was always kind of jealous of him?" I peered up at him as he sighed.
"Remember when you were three when the Uchihas were killed and how you began to hang out with Kakashi more than your dad?" he asked staring down at me. I nodded. "Well Hizashi always wanted to hang out with you like that even though he only knew about it for a year. I remember the proud look on his face when he heard you mastered the Byakugan. Why did you start training with Kakashi anyway?" I felt happy to know my dad was proud of me because he was on a mission when I had actually graduated.
"I started training with him because Otou-san was always busy with Neji having no time for me," I answered. "When I'd ask him to train me, he would say I wasn't ready, yet that was when the started training my nii-san." Hiashi nodded his head in understanding.
"If only Hinata was more like you," he muttered under his breath. I glared at my Ojii-san. How dare he insult Hina-chan!
"Why would you insult her like that Oji-san? Hina-chan just needs to be taught differently," I yelled at him. The only time I referred to him as 'Oji-san' he would know I was mad.
"What do you mean by differently?" he asked.
"She doesn't have Donton chakra, making it hard for her to control Jyuken. She has Suiton chakra so she has to put more of a curve to the movements," I answered. He nodded and we reached the house. "Can I train here with you? I'd like to improve my Jyuken." He nodded and sent me off to change into the Hyuga training outfit. I wore knee length black ninja pants and a short sleeved black V-neck shirt with fishnets underneath. It was standard Hyuga wear though it came in various colors.
Hiashi came out later in a robe/kimono thing and we began sparring. We were only allowed to use the Hyuga Taijutsu style. After a half hour of constant battle where none of us gained ground, I slowly began to beat him. Being younger than him gave me more stamina, so as long as this match carried on I'd be fine. Hiashi slowed more and I saw Neji enter the house from the corner of my eye. I had to end this quickly. I pushed more chakra into my hand and when an opening came I slammed it into the main chakra network in his right leg or his power leg. He gasped in surprise and began to fall. I caught him before he hit the floor.
Neji saw the last part and rushed in to help me carry Hiashi over to a bench. When we got there I began to reopen the chakra points. I did the same for myself while Neji got us towels to wipe away any sweat. He came back and glared at me. I glared right on back.
"I thought I told you not to train, Imouto," he said clearly angry as you can see from the glare.
"I heard you right, but who said I was going to listen to you Genin," I answered back. I pissed him off even more calling him by from his ranking. I smirked triumphantly when he didn't reply. Instead he decided to tackle when I did that. Hiashi watched in amazement as Neji threw himself straight at me. I fell backwards off the chair and he landed on top of me. He tried to throw a punch at my head but I used my legs to throw myself atop of him. I grabbed his hands and brought them behind his head, pinning him stomach down on the ground. "Don't mess with me nii-san," I warned. I got off him and walked back to my chair next to Hiashi.
"My apologies for my incompetence Hiashi-sama," Neji bowed to his uncle and fled the training ground as quickly as possible. I watched him run with a saddened expression on my pale face.
"I feel so bad for him. He tries so hard everyday and then he just gets embarrassed like that," I said. I bowed in respect and left to find Neji. I followed the wall to the east wing of the house where the branch family lived. I knocked on the door next to mine waiting for Neji to open his door.
"Go away!" I heard from behind the door. He was upset for sure.
"Neji let me come in. Please?" I called from behind it. The door opened and I looked up into his teary eyes. I reached over and gave him a hug as he cried.
"Why do I always make a fool of myself," he sobbed into the hug. I rubbed my older brothers back to calm him down.
"Who says you make a fool of yourself?" I asked. He looked at me in shock as tears still rolled down his cheek from his eyes. "I want to know who."
"I think I always make a fool of myself," he stammered through his sniffles.
"Well you don't. What happened just now was common sibling rivalry," I told him.
"But I make a fool of myself in front of Tenten and I don't know why!" he proclaimed going over to his bed and sitting down.
"It's because you love her smart one. I noticed how you two always have each others back and how if she got hurt panic would rise in your eyes," I stated and he looked at me in shock. I could tell he was about to object it but I was quicker and cut him off. "Neji, I'm a Jonin. I learned to read even the slightest action."
"Do you think I might actually love her?" he asked his tears now gone.
"That's for your heart to decide," I said and took my leave. Now there is one thing both Neji and I thought at the same time that made us siblings: "Wow she/I sounded like one of those people from Hiashi's soap operas."